San Diego mosque shooting: Who was Amin Abdullah, the ‘hero’ security guard killed in attack?

A father of eight killed in the San Diego mosque shooting on Monday (May 18) is now being hailed as a hero. According to authorities, he displayed courage by preventing the tragic incident from worsening.

Who was he? Amin Abdullah, 51, a security guard, was shot dead along with two other worshippers at a San Diego mosque in California. Abdullah intercepted suspected shooters from entering the mosque complex in an attack which authorities are now probing as a hate crime.

The other two victims were identified as Mansour Kaziha and Nader Awad.

Worship turned into a nightmare at a mosque complex in California after two gunmen opened fire at the scene, killing three people (Abdullah, Kaziha and Awad.) The suspects, aged 17 and 18, later turned the guns on themselves. US President Donald Trump described the shooting as a “terrible situation."

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Here's what we know about the ‘hero’ guard killed in the San Diego shooting.

Who was Amin Abdullah?

A well-known face of the mosque, a family friend, identified Abdullah. He was working there for over a decade. Sheikh Uthman Ibn Farooq, who had spoken with Abdullah’s son, asserted that he had always wanted to defend the innocent and thus decided to become a security guard, Al Jazeera reported.

"Nicest man you'll ever meet," others described Abdullah. He always looked after the community with all sincerity. Imam Taha Hassane, director of the Islamic Centre of San Diego, said Abdullah was hired by the mosque around 2019 or 2020.

Hassane also remembered Abdullah, "He never ever stopped smiling. If not for him ... the carnage would be much worse. He's the one who stopped them. Who slowed them down? If he didn't do what he did, and he sacrificed his life, the two suspects would have easy access to every single classroom. We're so proud of him," CBS News reported.

"We miss him," he added.

Nizam, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) spokeswoman, told the BBC that Abdullah was a "shining light, a true hero, a martyr. He was loved by everybody.”

Hawaa Abdullah, who lost her father on Monday (May 18), described him as a protector and a man who modelled how to be a good human.

During a press conference on Tuesday (May 19), Hawaa sobbed while reciting verses from the Quran. She said, "He was the best — the absolute best dad in the world. He was my protector. He was also a good son, she added. “He called his mom every night to check on her," the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

How did Abdullah save others in a heroic act?

According to officials, suspects ran past Abdullah, most probably knowing that he was not there. Abdullah then fired at them. Amid all this, the security guard announced the threat over his radio and quickly initiated the mosque's lockdown protocols. While doing all this, Abdullah remained engaged in a gun battle with suspects.

He is also being hailed for stopping the suspects from reaching the school during the attack on the Islamic Centre and saving numerous lives, including those of 140 children.

"His actions, without a doubt, delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred these two individuals from gaining access to the greater areas of the mosque, where as many as 140 kids were within 15 feet of these suspects," San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl, CBS News reported.

During a news conference, Wahl added, "It's fair to say his actions were heroic. Undoubtedly, he saved lives today," BBC reported.

The mosque described him as "a courageous man who put himself on the line for the safety of others, who even in his last moments did not stop protecting our community," the report noted.

How did the shooting unfold at mosque in San Diego?

At 11.43 am local time, right before midday prayer, the police received a call about a shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego. When cops rushed to the spot, they found three people had been shot dead.

At the same time, dispatchers received another call that someone was shooting from a vehicle two blocks away. When officers arrived at the second scene, they found the suspects — ages 17 and 18 — dead of self-inflicted wounds.

Speaking to the media later, Wahl noted that before the attack, the mother of one of the suspects had called officers at 9:42 local time and reported that when her son left, he took several of her guns and her car.

What has been the response so far?

On Tuesday (May 19), while speaking to the reporters at White House, US Vice President JD Vance called the shooting "reprehensible."

"We don't want that to happen in our country, and may God rest the souls of the people who lost their lives," Vance said.

Hassane, the mosque's director, described the attack as “extremely outrageous”. “All the places of worship in our beautiful city should always be protected,” he said.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations, one of the largest Muslim civil rights groups in the US, denounced the shooting

“We are deeply disturbed, but not at all surprised, to learn that those who attacked the Islamic Center of San Diego were reportedly motivated by anti-Muslim hate,” CAIR asserted.

Horrified by the attack, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said on X, “I am horrified by the deadly attack at the Islamic Center of San Diego, an apparent act of anti-Muslim violence."

With inputs from agencies